Convicted Sports deputy Minister Steven Masumba has described as harsh the 12 months sentence with hard labour saying the presiding magistrate had miscomprehended the conviction.
Masumba through his lawyer Lisimba Mutakela complained that the 12 months sentence with hard labour was too harsh and that there was nothing he could do apart from appealing against the conviction.
Masumba said the conviction was miscomprehended by director of Local Courts who was sitting as Magistrate Wilfred Muma and that he was going to appeal his conviction and sentence to the High Court.
In sentencing Masumba who was convicted on Monday, Muma said to deter would-be offenders the Sports deputy Minister should serve twelve months with hard labour for obtaining pecuniary advantage by using a forged certificate to obtain a job.
After the sentence was passed, Masumba’s lawyer, Lisimba, in mitigation pleaded with the court to exercise leniency on his client because he was a family man and a deputy Minister in the PF government.
Lishimba pleaded that the custodial sentence was going to cause untold misery to Masumba’s family and his constituency.
[pullquote]Nabamulekelesha umwana wandi. Alebomba nabo nomba nabamubukila. Ku North Western Province ewabakofye MP but nomba nabamubukila[/pullquote]
Meanwhile, Steven Masumba’s mother Juliet Kale yesterday went ballistic against the Patriotic Front (PF) government after her son was sentenced to twelve months imprisonment with hard labour by the Lusaka Magistrate Court after he was found guilty of gaining pecuniary advantage when he got a job as an accounting officer using a forged diploma.
Ms Kale was furious that the PF leadership in government had allowed the court to convict her son when he was a serving minister in a government he had worked hard to promote in North Western Province.
Kale who kept on saying that the family was leaving everything in the hands of God claimed that the PF had used and then abandoned her son because they had no further use for him.
Kale said Masumba was the only PF Member of Parliament in North Western Province and a government minister but that it was surprising that there was what she termed little care from the people Masumba was working with and for.
She claimed that the people Masumba was working with had turned against him but that God was going was going to deal with the people who had abandoned her son after they had used him.
Speaking to journalists in Bemba, Kale said: “(Nabamulekelesha umwana wandi. Alebomba nabo nomba nabamubukila. Ku North Western Province ewabakofye MP but nomba nabamubukila) My son has been neglected by this government.
He was working with this government and the people he was working with have turned against him. He is the only MP in North Western Province but they have not offered him any form of protection,” Kale said.
Kale had to be stopped from continuing attacking government as the relatives quickly calmed her down and took her away from journalists.
And Masumba’s sympathisers yesterday harassed Post Newspaper photo journalist Joseph Mwenda after they accused him of having impersonated State House officials to gain access to the Sports deputy minister’s holding cell at the Magistrate Court and recorded a conversation without his (Masumba) permission which was later published in the newspaper.
Masumba’s relatives were angered that Mwenda had duped them by claiming he was allegedly sent by President Michael Sata to deliver a message to Masumba when he was in fact not representing State House.
The angry relatives grabbed Mwenda’s camera and harassed him saying the photo journalist was being unethical in his duties by sneaking into the cell of their relatives to get a story.
Masumba ! All the best my friend.Fisanga abaume just be strong.
Ma sumba also tu accounts sure is what u can forge papers for.unless it was difficult courses like being a Pharmacist or dr
No ifikwaakwa, my cousin didn’t even go to class he was just teaching himself ati home
I agree with mr masumba
This is the work of hh paying the judiciary
Not even funny atase
President sata should intervene and exculpate uou gallant leader masumba
The nation is behind you
Even.me.i.had leakage at grade 12 napassa 7 points I was. Not.jailed atase
@jo
hh cooperated with this CONVICT?
It looks like you are under influence of stupidciline!
Iwe 1.1 Membe post it’s not about what someone studies but the effort. I know of people who are doctors even surgeons now whom we used to beat at school exams anytime anywhere effortlessly. Are they any better than others no. All courses are hard it’s just the effort that sorts them.
A lesson for all Zambians, Shame sad for the guy, the sentence was harsh, rather revoke the certificate and give him a suspended sentence. All the best Youngman we can only pray for you. Those jails are a mess.
Pa Zed nkani yawama kwambili. To get the job you want you do not need to worry about going to school any more,all you need is a MASUMBA CERTIFICATE tailored to your specific needs.
MASUMBA CERTIFICATE can even guarantee you a ministerial job in a Zambian government. How nice!
Joking!
@Jo and @142
You now know that HH is the real man of action not Sata who can’t even defend his ministers from prosecution. How nice!
Why do i feel sad for him after seeing the pictures?
@cindy
Its human nature to sympathise with a fellow human in trouble. I bet you would feel the same if you see an armed robber who stole from you shot dead in front of you.
Latest Hon Masumba has been fired!
Well, we should not be surprised to see more MASUMBA CERTIFICATES as a result of PF neglecting our Educational institutions. How do you expect the students at Mulungush university to acquire genuine degrees when their UNI has been closed indefinitely due to lack of water? UNZA has also taken a share of PF’s negligence which has resulted in one female student dying of typhoid due to lack of water at the campus.
PF watuletela mapenzi no bantu. Wilekubokezya chisi.
The man should have exhibited humility right from the onset. Why seek leniency after initially bragging and posing with a copy of the erroneously issued certificate. His defection was in speculation that he was be protected.
Olila samasankha (Those in mourning can say anything).
yes MUM where is PF to defend Masumba. he can survive hard labor
he did it but he can’t do the time , he is not too strong for that
Pal,Masumba is a full time martial artist besides black belt hence I can not fail to hundle prison hash conditions.
It’s supprising how all these guys are taking this man’s missery as a joke by having photo opportunities with him. Maybe it’s because he is the first one, that’s sad, he on the other hand doesn’t seem to be remorseful, l suppose reality is yet to hit home. lt was like l had predicted over the bemba chief, his coronation was never going to be successful!
12 months is too lenient for you Masumba, do you know how many years people take to study for the certificate you forged and how much money and time they spend. I get perplexed that people who just steal things like biscuit or a chicken are sentenced to 3yrs.I expected Masumba to go in for at least 3 to 5yrs,hope the high court will do so in order to deter would be offenders who are contaminating our industry with fake qualifications.
@James,matipa,St. Jude,Mwaba-Jr & Grand Ayatolah…., I agree with your sentiments guys thumbs up.
The world now needs pipo who are true to themselves and their communities or soceities in the order of COMMON GOOD, and Masumba is far from that. At this time of the world’s history, Zambia needs pipo who can do what is right even when no one is observing them, that is being true to one’s country.
A poor person who steals a chicken, laptop or even oranges is sentenced to 5 yrs in prison with hard labour and Masumba complains of 1 yr bcos he has the money?? His Dip is fake due to not meeting the standards set by NIPA. Let him rot in PRISON (HELL IN THE CELL).
Justice is divided in Zambia, one for the rich pipo (politicians) and the other for the commoners. SHAME
in fact one year is too lenient, with fake qualifications he went to cheat those he was lecturing, so what damage did he cause to innocent students? its huge. if I were the judge I would give him 5 years with hard labour. we sweat heavily to obtain these papers and yet someone just cheats his way through. makaka
I disagree with Masumba’s lawyer that 12 months is harsh. In fact, it’s totally inadequate looking at the gravity of the offence. The maximum sentence provided for by the law is 5years. 12months is nothing considering the fact that Masumba did not readily admit the charge and had to go thru the entire trial process. We forgive his mother’s ignorance because her rants suggest that we should condone crime because her son is a deputy minister and a member of the ruling party!
In fact the High Court may enhance the sentence to 3yrs or more! He has to be careful and reflect whether this appeal is really necessary!
Hon. Masumba should refrain from commenting on this conviction & sentence more so that he has lodged an appeal. He will have his day in the High Court and is well advised to hold his peace for time being otherwise he will be misunderstood as being unremorseful & unrepentant.
He IS NOT HONORABLE!!!! He is & always has been a FRAUD!!
The Conman deserves to be in Jail. Us who spent years of hardwork, spending sleepless nights cracking theories of dead men at the University are not fools, yet this govt is giving jobs to undeserving crooks. My BEng Electrical/Electronics is just rotting at home while this lunatic is enjoying a hefty salary+allowances with a fake diploma.
@Grand Ayatolah seyyed kamenei
A Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Electrical and Electronics is indeed a superior qualification which places you above the ordinary. The nation needs engineers like you to contribute positively to the development of the country. However, the problem we have with most of our engineers is that they only look forward to being employed formally. I’m sure it’s possible for an engineer of your calibre to seek the help of a financial institution to come up with a project that will make you an employer! Think about it.
Ba mayo insoselo shenu nomba mwatamfisha umwana inchito.cobra can not stomach
your language kwati ewamutumine
kwati paliba naba Masumba….woman you have just made things worse for your fraud star son – do you think PF can die without your opportunistic son?? he definitely needs PF more than PF does. mind your language!!!
you *****s it not a fake diploma he has…he was mistakenly given a qualification he dnt deserve…damn!get the stories right
GOD will see u mr masumba..12 months is too much!! the law must visit NIPA admin as well.
Kulilira ku utsi, look and shabby PF ministers embracing a convicted crook.
Masumba, why do you think you can just be let free for getting a job with fake papers….. 1 year is actually to short, you should be jailed for three years!
Ba Jo “Leakage” You are even boasting!
Imagine being told or Learning at the Hospital that the Dr. who is to operate on
you is a product of total leakage, I mean through and through.
That is why now we have Engineers that can not explain to children why a sharp knife cuts better than a blunt one.
Leakage!
I don’t see sense in defending what Masumba did or even complaining about sentence. This boy needs to learn to earn qualifications genuinely. Some of us are labouring away from country and loved ones to earn qualifications and he wants to complain about 12months punishment for his dishonesty. Let them increase it to 10years to deter more would be offenders…shaa. His mother should be realistic.
You are right my friend, we are working extremely hard to earn these qualifications. His MoThEr……. let me not even comment on her ‘useless talks’.
There no shortcuts to education…………………
This Masumba was reported to have said he was comfortable and slept well in prison and that he was among his admirers and fans. He does not show any remorse for what he did and now he is moaning about the 12 months being too harsh. In fact many people feel sorry for his predicament than he does for himself.
His careless talk might do a lot of damage to his appeal. He is just a fool.
Are these the people who run a country? I despair.
Its much to little.
Amai Masumba osalila maningi. Kulila kwanu twanva. Tisaona mwamene tuzamutandizila mwana wasu Masumba. Muziba camene anacita sichamushe iyai. manje apunzila tisamutandiza nditu.
Masumba was spending his time dancing instead of studying…..he desreves the punishment
I can imagine the foundation of the innocent people he ‘lectured’.
Too bad development…Most bloggers rejoicing for arrest of Mr. Masumba passed their exams using leakages. The whole thing has been done to fix Masumba’s political career.
No blogger is rejoicing over Masumba’s situation. The bloggers are merely pointing out his lack of remorse and the stupid statements he has been issuing which show that it is himself rejoicing.
Nice picture above and I love the solidarity exhibited by his fellow Deputy Ministers. That’s how life shud be. Even when someone is down in life we got to be with people we call our colleagues
You don’t get it do you, those clowns in that photo happen to be representatives of the people….what message are they conveying? What capacity are they in there as? Can anybody go in prison and take photos with a close friend?
Everything is now the norm as corruption is ingrained in our decayed society.
Wake up! !
Please spare the mother guys. Any mother will come to the defense of his son or daughter. It is just natural. Even if a mother witnessed a murder by her child they will still defend the child. It is what they call motherly instinct that is inherent in them. The love and care for their offsprings regardless of age or did. Even the mother of the Mailoni brothers, I am sure, at the bottom of her heart she would have wanted to defend them, but it was too much even for her to bear.
This guy is a joker anyway you need such in politics. They keep attention off the pressing issues. The guy is talking of it been harsh when he doesnt consider that him lying that he passed and got a diploma is worse because there is atleast one guy out there who would have got the job he occupied under falsehood and he has been earning a living for years with a fake paper. Infact the judge should have just put 12 months to the power 2. On a lighter note I am informed by my sources that Masumba didnt intend to forge the qualification but had to do it for the sake of the graduation, He was convinced that it would be criminal if he was not accorded a chance to attend the ceremony as he would have missed the thing he loves most…Dancing!
You rip what you sow
It’s ‘reap’
Viva baby boy Musumba!! The king of entertainment and drama, politics will be boring without you.
@ We the people, nice!
Only I suppose you could rip (the seam) that you sew…. LOL.
Statutes need to be followed. If the rightful sentence is 12 months with hard labor, then magistrate must adhere to the same sentence. That is the rule of law. Forgery or false pretenses can not be condoned. The least that could do is for the convict to show remorse and apologize openly without reservations.
As someone said, “We may not all go to university. But we are all certainly possible prisoners and patients”. There are a lot of Masumbas out there.
Prevailing situation at KCM:
1. They are selling all inventory including sensitive spares without leaving any spare to support the operations
2. Scrap is being sold like nomans business
3. They have started closing all the running contracts especially under projects
4. Konkola Deep Mining Project (KDMP) has been stopped and no contractor to be on site after 30th November 2013
I’ll keep updating you…..
Good….they are parking up! Zambians (ZCCM) should get ready to run the mine. Don’t sell our mines for a song next time ba chimbwi imwe.
Musamba has caused all this mess for himself, all this could have been avoided earlier had Musamba refrained from maintaining that he acquired the certificate honestly when he knew well enough to was wrongly awarded to him. He wasted the court’s time and resources, he has all along been dishonesty. It is a pity the mother thinks the PF can protect, the law must not be selective regardless of our social standing. Musamba being a representative of the people, he should have exhibited honesty with this issues. But now it is too late to cry foul. If PF respects the law, they should not interfere with this judgement. The judge actually exercised leniency when sentencing because it could have been more than 12 year had it been an ordinary person. Now we should start scrutinizing all of them!
That photo speaks volumes about the society we are living in …..only in Zambia would representatives of the people in parley dare pose in a picture with a convicted exams cheat. What message are they putting across? Its utter disgusting to say the least. If I was a campaign manager in the opposition I would use that picture in my next by election street poster.
We deserve better effective leadership not these characters with no morals.
Let me get this clear…
First, the Dishonourable Steven Masumba with fake qualifications says the judge “miscoprehended”? Uh, ewe…. probably without qualifications, YOU ARE THE ONE who doesn’t comprehend!
Second, his lawyer is asking for leniency becuase Masumba is a member of PF. What is this, the “SACRED COW DEFENSE”? Great. The lawywer also says a custodial sentence will cause “untold misery” to the dishounourabe’s constituency. Really? If Masumba is so worried about his constituency, why did he lie in the first place? Just resign so they can be represented!
Third, no wonder this child has no morrals with a mother who raised the boy to think he should expect to get away with lying and cheating as long as he belongs to the right party.
Shame on all of them!!!
The question is whether Masumba paid for the mistake to be made or not and if he did not pay for the mistake then why didn’t he just come out clean and reject the certificate?
If one is dishonest on a small thing then they are capable of dishonest on massive issues.
ZICA should also come in and do something over this misconduct.
Exactly this is what our people don’t seem understand about public office and what it entails.
Am really happy!!!!!! NOT because masumba has gone to jail,because his paying for his wrong doing. let this be a lesson to all the guyz with fake documents ,getting job at the expence the well educated,
iwe ka Masumba tu accounts shuwa. elo ka diploma ekakuchita forge. people study on their own at home some even in toilets after that apasa nomba imwe bukopo bwashani.
I wished you got 5 years mambala iwe.